My wife finishes residency next year so we could relocate then if we wanted to. Currently we live in Los Angeles close to the beach and like it, but property is expensive and the wind is usually light (5.7 wave sail or 8.0 slalom sail). So we are investigating other locations, my requirements being wave sailing and employment and hers being good schools and warm weather. How does Florida compare to Los Angeles from a sailing perspective? Where is the best wavesailing in Florida, I've heard Boynton Inlet and Jupiter Inlet mentioned?

I know I often sound off base, but why Florida if you want to wavesail?
Those waves seldom have size, punch, or consistency.
Why not like in SouthBay, SanFrancisco? Waddell and Davenport HAVE to be better than Florida, and a wetsuit cures the cold problem.
The valley stays +80 most spring/summer/fall.
It's an hour drive over the coastal hills to surfsailing from areas like SanMateo thru Campbell, and there are more work opportunities in SiliconValley than almost anywhere on earth.

Hey cape these are some good considerations. The places you mentioned definitely have good wavesailing ie Boynton and Jupiter Inlet. The inlets all along the eastern coast of FL are decent. Zirtaeb is right that these places don't compare overall with more classic places like the Outer Banks, and Cape Cod, central California, etc etc but they have plenty of good days. We are in NE FL in Jacksonville, and I get out there alot. There's an inlet here--Ft George--it's not necessarily as helpful for windsurfing as the inlets further south like Jupiter and Ponce etc. There's a really fun wavesailing spot in central FL by Cape Canaveral and an active windsurf community there. Check out ECFW discussion group on Yahoo. It's generally warmer in the winter below the Cape and the ocean swell is a little bigger. Ocean temps in Jacksonville today are 62 but this has been a mild winter. They are at least 10 degrees warmer in the Cocoa Beach/ Cape Canaveral/ Satellite Beach area. Miami and the Keys have good windsurfing but there is little to no ocean swell because of Bahamas shadow. The folks in Miami usually drive up to Juno or Melbourne to surf. 2 more notes and I'll quit (could write about FL all day--you guys are picking a great place to live) : schools are quite varied, spectrum from best to worst. Also, I don't know your size or board requirements, but you might have to get used to bigger sails. That 5.7 you mentioned is would be a good day. I sail longboards and weigh 180 lbs and my 7.0 is most frequently used sail. I use my 4.7 occasionally. Good luck......

Hey capetonian, sorry I definitely did not mean to put that frown emoticon in there. Accidentally hit it--frigging iPad keyboard. Anyway, feel free to ask more questions or send a personal message. My wife and I have been all over this state. If your wife's residency is medical, that would bring some more considerations into the picture. Anyway, good luck and I do mean this emoticon.

Just a thought. To maximize the 3W combo (wind, waves, and warmth) while still having the amenities of a city, Corpus Christi, Texas is tough to beat in the continental US. It's not a perfect California type wave, but throughout the year we pretty frequently have waves from waist to chest high. I've sailed as big as mast high here (just once) and head high occasionally. Plus with the very low cost of living you save enough to be able to take trips to some classic wave vacation spots when those are in season.

That said if you're a Florida type person, Texas is a different scene. It's not as manicured and there's less zoning. Beach access is much less controlled than I've experienced in Florida (Sanibel, Naples, Miami, Marco, Ft Lauderdale, and Key West are my main experiences there). Texas seems much more laid back to me and has worked well enough that it turned from a vacation to my permanent residence. It all depends the atmosphere you're looking for.

Also, I don't know your size or board requirements, but you might have to get used to bigger sails. That 5.7 you mentioned is would be a good day. I sail longboards and weigh 180 lbs and my 7.0 is most frequently used sail. I use my 4.7 occasionally. Good luck......

Thanks gk3540. I'm only a couple of pounds heavier than you, what are the average winds when you use a 7.0 on your longboard? By longboard do you mean Exocet Kona/Curve or raceboards?

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